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SWRMS FFA chapter chartered

SWRMS FFA chapter chartered

ASHEBORO — Southwestern Randolph Middle School now has a chartered FFA chapter.

It’s joined a growing number of middle schools in the Randolph County School System which have become actively involved in FFA, the largest student-led organization in the nation, according to Caroline Sheffield, adviser for the SWRMS chapter.

Since January, when Sheffield began teaching agricultural education at the school, students have had the opportunity to join the new chapter. One of its first achievements was to start with over 65 members, which Sheffield said makes it one of the largest chapters in North Carolina.

The official chartering ceremony involving the students, school officials and state FFA representatives took place April 24.

Landon Callicutt, president of the new chapter, led the ceremony with the assistance of the North Carolina State FFA officer team and SWRMS officers. Other members of the school’s FFA officer team are Dylan Underwood, Caroline Trotter, Mary Adkins, Ryan Gilmore, Stephen Spencer, Katelyn Lucas and Joey Martin. Each member signed the charter signifying its official beginning.

The students’ adviser is very familiar with FFA. Sheffield was active in the FFA Chapter at Southwestern Randolph High School where she graduated in 2008. She attended N.C. State University where she received her bachelor’s degree in agricultural education in 2012 and then her master’s degree in 2013. She teaches sixth- and eighth-grade agriscience and seventh-grade biotechnology.

Her father, Everette Sheffield, is one of the FFA advisers at SWRHS.

The April 24 ceremony was also attended by parents and family members; supporters, and Jason Davis, state FFA coordinator, and Horace Johnson, Central Region agricultural education leader. Randolph school officials included Dr. Stephen Gainey, superintendent; Catherine Berry and Cathy Brady, assistant superintendents, and two members of the Randolph County Board of Education, Emily Coltrane, chair, and Todd Cutler, vice chair.

In March 2013, Uwharrie Middle School’s FFA chapter was chartered. Both SWRMS and UMS are feeder middle schools for SWRHS which, like all Randolph traditional high schools, has an active FFA chapter. Local middle schools have started offering agricultural education courses and begun their own FFA chapters. Others with chapters are Archdale-Trinity, Northeastern Randolph and Southeastern Randolph middle schools.